US-China Science and Technology Agreement:
Outlook for Science and Technology Competition and Cooperation
Organizers
Description
Looking ahead, the trajectory of U.S.-China scientific cooperation will likely hinge on the ability of both nations to navigate the balance between strategic competition in high-tech fields and essential collaboration in addressing global public goods. Clear frameworks, transparent mechanisms, and deliberate trust-building efforts will be crucial to sustaining productive scientific engagement. Maintaining constructive dialogue in science and technology, despite broader geopolitical frictions, remains critical not only for bilateral relations but also for global scientific progress and innovation.
Background
The U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA), renewed by the Biden administration in late 2024, continues to provide a foundational framework for bilateral scientific cooperation and competition. The latest renewal introduces significant revisions aimed at addressing strategic concerns, particularly by restricting collaboration primarily to basic research. Sensitive technology sectors suc…
Date: 2025-07-01
Time (ET): 10:00 AM EDT, Jul 1, 2025
Time (Local): 2:00 PM UTC, Jul 1, 2025
Agenda:
- Speaker Welcome Room 9 : 40AM
- Guided Discussion 10 : 00AM
- General Discussion 10 : 45AM
- Q&A 11 : 10AM
Location: online
Relevant Topics
Speakers
Sourabh Gupta
Head of Trade 'n Technology Program, Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS)
Kei Koizumi
Ex-Special Assistant to the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Caroline Wagner
Professor, John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University
William Hannas
Lead Analyst, Georgetown University Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Denis Simon
President, Alliance of Global Talent Organizations
Guided Questions
Kei Koizumi
Given your vantage point within OSTP in the Biden administration, what were the important revisions from the U.S.’ perspective in the renewed US-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA)? More importantly, why was it felt that it was important to renew the STA rather than let it lapse, given that the administration had not been shy to move forward with selective decoupling across a number of advanced manufacturing and technology sectors?
Caroline Wagner
Given your extensive work on U.S.-China and international collaboration in S&T, could you elaborate on the areas of research cooperation that have benefitted from the STA? How has US-China S&T collaboration held up in the time since President Trump first entered office in 2017? And what are your expectations on this front, looking ahead?
William Hannas
Given your extensive experience as the CIA’s senior expert on open-source analysis and your current work at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, what dynamics govern the Trump administration's choices regarding collaboration with China in science and technology How can the United States enjoy the benefits of Chinese student enrollments without jeopardizing research security?
Denis Simon
Given your long association with educational exchanges as well as S&T cooperation between the U.S. and China, what are your expectations on bilateral exchanges on the academic front, given the recent research cuts, student bans and visa threats, and the general politicization of science that we see these days? What are the underlying drivers of this administration's assault on the institutions of higher learning?